What's coming up?

Still struggling to get up to speed, but I am aiming to knock out two more album reviews this week plus something about the best made for tv horror film of all time. For next week I'll just aim for 3 album reviews, Battle of the bands and Clash of the album covers.

***Have a great week!!!

Dirty Skirty-Long live rock 'n roll

Self-produced
2010

So far 2010 has been a fine year for metal, but not as much for hard rock. Here is an album that has re-newed my faith in the hard rock scene to some extent. Drawing on such classic influences as AC/DC and Aerosmith, Dirty Skirty pull forth the raw-edged grooves that worked so well to fuel those bands. That's only the beginning though because they pull and twist those grooves to fit with their own sound and they pull it at least somewhat closer to a more current sound. So not only do they retain the swagger of late 70's gritty style of rock, but they add an extra dose of adrenaline and just run with it. They focus on just straight forward, punch and go style, but the attitude and confidence they show helps them to go that extra mile. The lyrics are of typical sleaze type rock fare, but that doesn't hold back Dirty Skirty. Their honesty in their music and their ability to squeeze the most out of simple rhytms is what helps this album to one of the more potent hard rock releases of the year.

Clash of the album covers

Two covers from Boris.




Flotsam and Jetsam-No place for disgrace

vs.



Ozzy-The ultimate sin

***Which cover do you prefer?

Psycho Choke-Unraveling chaos

7 Hard
2010

I've had this one sitting amongst my stack of "to be reviewed" discs for a while now. Honestly the band name and album cover made me hesitant to rip it open, but I try to get around to reviewing all that is sent to me. So with that last thought in mind I gave this disc a shot. Actually it turned out to be a pleasant surprise to some extent. This is modern metalcore owing much to Korn and Trivium. They focus on volume and spine pounding beats which is all typical of the genre, but on occasion they veer away from that path and twist in some real grooves. That's what sets them apart a little from the pack. Unfortunately there just isn't enough of it to make the whole album anything special. Inevitably they fall into the trap of playing the kind of metalcore that you have heard before. Even though they start out fierce I have often found that this style fizzles a bit and I have trouble staying glued to it for the duration of a whole song. Now as I mentioned above Psycho Choke do make strides to mix it up and add their own spin on the style. I just wish there was more of it. As it stands "Unraveling Chaos" is a better album than I figured, but I think that this band could be even better if they keep working at it.

More look a like album covers

More look a likes for you.



Not the most creative cover, but I think they were trying to be respectful to their idols. 1977 set out to create an album of originals that sounds like KISS during their prime and they succeeded.



Billy Milano's M.O.D. "borrowed" MSG's logo for this one. Frankly I don't think anyone whose name is not Schenker should be allowed to put a flying V on their album cover.



Guns and Roses were a definite target during that long, long time when it looked like "Chineese Democracy" would never be released. Treephort were not very subtle in their take on the Use your illusion covers.


Dirty Skirty do a variation on Motley Crue's "Too fast for love".



Here is a link to the first part on this top in case you missed it the other week.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2010/09/album-cover-look-alikes.html

Terry Brock-Diamond Blue

Frontiers
2010
Solo albums certainly vary in both direction and style. Some times you don't know what to expect and on occasion you may get an artist who just completely cuts loose and goes very much against what they have done with the band they are known for. Other times an artist sticks to their foundations and does a solo disc that's very much keeping with the style of their other band. This is the second solo effort from Terry Brock (Giant, Strangeways) and it very much falls into that second category. As you may expect from his other projects the style here is hard rock driven AOR with a major emphasis not only on Brock's other projects, but the music also is definitely influenced by Journey and post-Pyromania style Def Leppard. So we are treated to mounds of huge melodies and some catchy choruses. The music is very much typical of the genre although very tight and to the point. Since it's Terry Brock's album his voice is of course the centerpiece for every song. He doesn't take chances or do much of anything different from what he has done in the past. However he is talented performer with a strong vocal range and a decent knack for controlling the song. Diamond Blue is a likable, but not very original outing that gives Brock a chance to do more of what he already done in his other projests. Which is to knock out 80's style hardrock/AOR.

What's coming up?

I've been tied up with work lately. Had a week filled with meetings, workshops and training others so my writing time has been slim. Hope to have three reviews out between now and Sunday. After that I'll shoot for clash of the album covers and Battle of the bands next week plus another cover look alikes and reviews of the latest from Mutilated Messiah, Psycho Choke and Dragon's Cave.
This week I have been very much enjoying the new Helloween and hope to have a review of that in coming weeks.
I am very much looking forward to October coming because Halloween is my favorite holiday. I'll probably throw in a few mini-horror movie reviews during the month and some Halloween/horror/metal related topics too.

***Have a great week!

Battle of the bands

It is...



Dream Theater

vs.


Queensryche

***Which band do you prefer?

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Black Sabbath-Sabbath bloody sabbath

vs.


Jimi Hendrix-Axis: Bold as love

***Which cover do you prefer?

Darkness-Conclusion and revival

Battle Cry
1989, 2005, 2010

Change can be a good thing, but it can also be a killer too. In 1988 Darkness had released "Defenders of justice" their second album and both were very strong thrash albums. Unfortunately there were problems within the band and between the band and their label. Very soon guitarist Pierre Danielscyk and more importantly vocalist Oliver Fernickel were out. The band reluctantly added vocalist Ray Druschal and decided to continue as a four piece. Their relationship with their label Gama was now strained and their music direction was changing quickly. The results are Conclusion and Revival which is mixed bag of ill-conceived ideas and scattered styles. The thrash of their previous efforts is still present on a few songs, but they also brought in classic metal, punk rock and even some funky moments. Now that might sound promising in print, but trust me it didn't make translate well when they recorded it. The music lacks soul and personality as it just seems like they didn't know how to put the styles together. Vocalist Ray Druschal just wasn't a sufficient replacement for Oliver Fernickel. Druschal lacked to power and grit to pull it off. The production on this album is better, but that's about it. They would release a live album after this and then call it quits a few years later. However in 2004 several members re-united and continued on as Eure Erben playing the style started on the first two Darkness albums. They chose a different band name because they although they wanted to play their old thrash songs they didn't feel they could be Darkness without Olli Fernickel and he had unfortunately passed away in 1998. Despite the fact that this album was disappointing it must be pointed out that the re-issue does include a Eure Erben song from 2005 and the raw, but impressive "Titanic War" demo from 1986 as bonus tracks. This re-issue originally put out in 2005, but is now back in print.

Darkness-Defenders of Justice

Battle cry
1988/2005/2010

When you think of the German speed metal scene from the 1980's you invariably come to the big three of Destruction, Kreator and Sodom. Like any other scene there were some overlooked bands behind the big names. Darkness would be one of top choices from this scene. The knocked out numerous demos before finally releasing their debut "Death Squad" in 1987. The sound was a mix of powerful thrash with hardcore undertones. The next year "Defenders of justice" brought even more of the same sound. They had it all in terms of intensity, an abundance of monster riffs, a great sense of pacing and just a great feel for how to get the most out of their music. In fact the songwriting was actually tighter here than on the debut. Tracks like "Predetermined destined" and "They need a war" show the band's ability to control and build the song with multiple parts. By 1988 this band was definitely playing at a high level. They knew how to churn out crunching blasts and when to launch into head banging gallops. The production could have been better, but their talent reaches far past the weak production and crappy album cover. Unfortunately they didn't get the kind of exposure outside of Europe that the big three of the scene got. Also differences in musical direction would lead to changes in the line-up and the musical direction so "Defenders of Justice" ended up being the last really good album from this band. This re-issue includes eight bonus tracks including several songs from early demos. This re-issued version was originally put out by Battle Cry in 2005 and the same version has come back into print this year. This album holds up well and makes wish the band had gotten more recognition back when it was first released.

Tony Harnell and the Mercury Train-Round Trip

Frontiers
2010

If I made a list of bands I like that few others seemed to like than it's quite possible that TNT would be high on the list. I have been a fan since 1985 and although a number of their album I have been uneven there was still something about them that always drew me in. Their biggest selling point to my ears was the vocals of Tony Harnell when he was in the band. At times his voice could be over the top even way up there, but still his range was always an attention getter for me. When I heard he was doing an album of re-recorded songs from his previous bands I was highly skeptical. For the most part re-recording don't seem to add much to songs. In this case the songs are given either acoustic treatment, a modern style upgrade or some of both. The results are varied although largely on the positive side. Something the way too stripped down "Satellite" and the tedious version "Ready to fly" had me glazing over about two minutes in, but it dragged on for almost another three minutes. On the other hand "When I'm away" and "Anywhere but here" are prefect fits for Tony's voice and he makes the best of them. I was initially very skeptical when I saw that "Intuition" from the TNT's 1989 release of the same name would get the upgrade treatment. Indeed the first few seconds were kind of shocking because this was one of my favorites of TNT's rocking type songs. However they nailed it as they kept the upbeat feel, but added more texture and it's a good example of the fact that in many ways Tony Harnell sounds better now than he did in the 1980's. I think this is due to some fine control over his voice that he has developed over the years. There are a few misses on the album, but mostly it's a fine showcase for Harnell as a vocalist and a writer. Ultimately this turned out to be one of the most pleasant surprises on the year so far.

What's coming up?

I am sick right now and trying to get over it. Hope to have reviews of the latest from Terry Brock and Tony Harnell out over the weekend. Theb next week I'll shoot for reviews of the latest from Valdur, Dirty Skirty and two Darkness re-issues plus Clash of the album covers and Battle of the bands.
***Have a great week!

JPT Scare band-Acid blues is the white man's burden

Ripple Music
2010

Even before I looked it up I could tell that the songs on this collection were recorded over a period of time. That's due to the fact that they play some different styles and their songs reflect that. The opener "Long Day" had me fooled because I was expecting a proto-metal type band and this song is far more melodic almost getting close to a late 70's/early 80's arena rock sound. However I soon learned that this was song was more the exception than the rule. As the cover might suggest the JPT Scare band definitely went through a period where psychedelia was their prime focus and several songs on the album albums reflect that. They do it well as anyone else as they summon up fuzzed up riffs with the best of them. Beyond that this band also has a strong blues foundation and they are afraid to call upon those sources as well. At times we are treated to a fusing of psychedelic swirls and some strong blues playing at the same time. One thing these guys exceled at was jamming. So there are times where structure is thrown to the wind and the listener feels like they are in a paneled basement sitting on a worn out avocado green couch and watching these guys crank out whatever comes to mind. The JPT scare band are not doing a lot of anything that you have never heard before as far as ideas, but they have a very natural flow to their music. The music just seems to come out so naturally and that is a gift because there is no to truly script all of what they and have it come out like it did. Fans of Budgie, early UFO and other bands of that time are going to be thrilled by this collection.

Sin 4 Sin interview

Sin 4 Sin are a hard rock band from the Baltimore, Maryland area. I recently had the pleasure to interview


MM-Tell us a little about the history of your band.

BH-Chainsaw and I started Sin 4 Sin in hopes of bringing on a change in the musical landscape at the time. We shared an interest in writing Big Heavy Metal, so we started a band. We met up with Griff, our old guitar player, pieced together the music, and then played our first show for 98Rock's Noise in the basement series. That was a great night too. I had been going to that thing every Monday for like 3 years trying to find people looking to start a band, and no one ever wanted to. They didn't like the style, or some dumb shit reason of how it wouldn't sell, or that their pussy hurts. Thats when I realized what they meant by calling it the music business, you try to start up your own company (band) and interview people for the job. Anyway, we started gigging out all the time, playing with alot of big name acts, traveling to Texas for Texas Rockfest during SXSW, and partying our asses off. We went through a lot of lineup changes, but I think the starting 5 of this band right now will be set in stone for good. We are all on the same page, we all click very well. Billy, Chuck, Jay, Chainsaw and Myself play music for one common reason- to make people bang their fucking heads and scream as loud as they can. After every set we play, we're always like "holy fuck that was fun"!

MM-Who are some of your influences?

BH-Originally our main influences were Motley Crue, GNR, and Buckcherry, but our current writing style for the next album is greatly influenced by Crashdiet, Reckless Love, and Jett Black. The new stuff is sounding great, and we hope to have 15 or so songs by the end of next year so we can put out a new album.

MM-Tell us about your album.

BH-Our current album is 7 Deadly, the 5 main songs we did at Wrightway Studios in Baltimore, and the two demo songs were done at Oceanic Studios in Bethesda, MD. The 2 demo songs were done in May of 2009, the main album was done a year later. We had about 12 songs written going into it. All the artwork, photos, and designs were done by Una of UP Photo & Design, and the model is actually her sister Ema who wanted to add something new to her portfolio.

MM-What are some of your favorite songs on it and why?

BH-My personal favorite on this disc is Love Vice, only because its my favorite song to play live. The way it flows is just so cool, and Chainsaw's drum solo is pretty diesal, I don't know how he does that beat, I can't even do it with 2 pens on a table!

MM-Who would you love to share a stage with?

BH-Good question, we all have personal favorites of who we would love to play with, but I want to play with the Crank County Daredevils again, those guys are so fucking awesome live. I've never seen anyone put on a better show, and I've seen U2, Van Halen w/ Diamond Dave in '07, The Crue, Axl Rose's cover band, Poison, and a shit ton of others. Crank County all the way. As far as fan exposure, it would be Motley Crue.

MM-Tell us about some of your most memorable shows so far?

BH-The one that sticks out is our very first show at Fletcher's. It was for 98Rock's Noise in the basement series. It was every Monday, and I had been going to that thing every single Monday for like 4 years and got to meet alot of new friends, it was always a great time. Matt Davis, who hosts this event, did us a huge favor and put us on the bill even though we didn't have a pro recording yet. All we had was a shitty practice demo we made ourselves. Anyway, the fucking place was slam packed from wall to wall, it was incredible to see that bar so packed because i've only seen it that way maybe 2 other times with other bands I was friends with. Really cool, wasn't expecting that!



MM-What do you think about the metal scene in general these days? Is it getting better, worse or just sitting still?

BH-I think its doing well, even though there is no prime radio exposure. But the beauty of the digital revolution is upon us, and we will witness the end of the standard big city radio stations. Music genomes such as Pandora but mostly Last.fm are the future of how we listen to "radio". Stations that play music thats in your musical taste, and throws in a new artist every 6 or 7 spins, thats where its at. And these internet radio stations do a lot for up and coming bands. Ultimately I think the quality of music will get much better since the internet allows convenient worldwide exposure. Someone is always listening.

MM-Rate the Baltimore music scene on a scale from 1-10 with 1 being terrible and 10 being fantastic.

BH-To me, the underground rock scene in Baltimore is an 8. Its really good, but it could be so much more. Its not that the bands suck, its that the trend is off. Mostly the local band show crowds are made up of the band thats playing's friends and members from other bands that are there to support. Nearly all of the bands here support each other. I always go to Noise in the Basement no matter who is playing, and I go just so I can see who's out there in this fight with us. My main agenda is to bring back all the people who flocked to the clubs. In the 80's it seemed that everyone wanted to see a band, and its not like that anymore, not since grunge killed everyone's attitude. All of a sudden we're not having a great time partying our asses off anymore, we're at home broken hearted wanting someone's pity, or wanting to fight everyone for the fucking stupidest reasons. If we can get the masses back out to the rock shows, then we've done our job, and Baltimore receives a 10!

MM-Are there any other promising unsigned bands that you would like to mention?

BH-Loving The Lie, Second Impulse, Eleven 54, King Belvedere- those are my personal local favorites, I think the other guys would agree with me on that.

MM-Where do you hope to be five years from now?

BH-I'm hoping that our songs are featured on popular TV Shows and in Video Games, and that we've already done a National Tour. If not, then we're not working hard enough!


MM-What are you doing that you sets you apart from other hard rock bands?

BH-Getting everyone involved, making everyone yell as loud as they can, drink as much as they can, and hopefully everybody gets laid! We try our hardest to entertain the fuck out of everyone that comes to our shows, and that means jumping into the crowd, shredding on top of the bars, and having at least 3 shirts come off during our set!



MM-If you could only listen to three albums over the next month then what would you pick?

BH-Crashdiet- Generation Wild, Jett Black- Get Your Hands Dirty, and Gemini Five- Sex, Drugs, and Anarchy.

MM-What are some of the best albums you have heard so far in 2010?

BH-Crashdiet- Generation Wild by far.



MM-Pick the band from the following pairs that you prefer and tell why you picked them.

BH-

LA Guns or Skid Row

Skid Row, only because Big Guns is one of my absolute favorite songs.

Guns and Roses or Motley Crue

Motley Crue because their reputation was more bad-ass than GNR.

AC/DC or KISS

Kiss because their lyrics are a work of art on their own.

MM-Anything else that you want to say about your band, your music or any other topic?

Nope, thanks alot for helping us out, Mark!

-Brandon Hadyen


http://www.myspace.com/sin4sinband

Skull Hammer-Pay it in blood

Self-produced
2010



Back in the 80's I went through a time where I listened to every thrash band whose album, CD or cassette landed in my greedy hands. Okay, I still listen to thrash but times have changed and not every thrash band appeals to me now. Something about Skull Hammer right away takes me back to 1987. I mean that in a positive way. The lyrics are typical and the vocals are somewhat limited, but the spirit behind the music and the way they bring a surplus of smashing riffs is what got me hooked. Now I enjoyed their "Fear the truth" EP when it came out two years ago. Since then they have changed 2/3 of the line-up, but they are even stronger now. The direction of the new album is heavier, the production is more consistent and this band is now playing at an impressive level. They remind me of a mix say At War, Forbidden, late 80's DRI with a touch of NWOBHM thrown in. They take some real steps on this album to lay down the foundations for their own sound too. In recent years I have heard all too many current thrash bands who go through the motions and just lack the soul needed to make this style work. Skull Hammer had some of that sound on their EP, but they have really brought their passion to the surface on this album. Tracks like "The gladiator", "Born Evil" and the ear drum busting "Convicted by conviction" are just a few examples of this band's ability to shred and create memorable songs at the same time. This is must for fans of old style thrash.

Dusted Angel-Earth sick mind

2010

I first heard this band a year ago with the release of their Thorn EP and right away they made an instant impact on me. My only complaint was that I wanted more and couldn't wait for them to put out a full length. Now my wish has been granted. The general musical direction is stoner rock, but there splashes of doom, space rock and just heavy gritty pieces woven throughout. Think a mix of early Trouble, early High on fire, Helmet and some others. What drew my attention in first was the band's ability to pull you into their world without beating you over the head. They construct each song like getting a fire going, they start it slow and build it and before you know it this gigantic force in front of you. There is a definite laid back quality to much of the music. Not to the extent of being lazy, but rather a confident yet relaxed feel is present throughout almost every track. Dusted Angel also have a firm grasp on how squeeze and manipulate emotions out of their music. That's a real talent because anyone can play slow or play heavy, but to rally utilize that slabs of heavy, molten sounds to control and influence feelings is what seperates great stoner/doom metal from mere good stoner/doom metal. Obviously Dusted Angel have that touch and this whole album was a wild ride that took my senses out into and down a pit of fire and back again. "Earth sick mind" has been one of the few albums of 2010 that has been every thing I hoped it would be.

Clash of the album covers

It is...


Loudness-Thunder in the east

vs.


Queensryche-The warning

***Which cover do you prefer?

What's coming up?

It's been a crazy week with back to school night for my daughter, first day of pre-school for my son, soccer practices for both and their first soccer games are coming up on Saturday. Of course the NFL season starts tonight which is oaky. Hoping my Broncos can take down the Jags this weekend or else it's going to be a long season. Aside from all that the in flow of new music has been cool. I have been greatly enjoying Dusted Angel's full length debut as it is certainly one of the best doom/stoner albums in some time. Also I was surprised and pleased to see a new release from Skull Hammer show up in my mailbox today. They have changed 2/3 of their line-up since I last heard their EP almost two years ago, but they seem even stronger now. So I'll have a review of the new Dusted Angel out tomorrow and then next week I'll aim to review the latest from Tony Harnell, Terry Brock, Skull Hammer and maybe one more plus Clash of the album covers.

***Have a great week and enjoy some football!

Fist-Turn the hell on

Metal Mind
1980/2010

Somewhere down the list of NWOBHM bands are Fist. They formed in 1978 and rather quickly landed a record deal with a major label in the form of MCA records. Their debut "Turn the hell on" came out in 1980. The sound isn't far off from other bands in the movement and I am thinking mainly of Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang and Quartz. The biggest difference being that Fist are far more upbeat. That's not a trait that all metal fans would take to and admittedly it I was a surprised by it at first. After a few plays it soaked in more and I think that mood compliments their groove driven, rhythm heavy songs. Melodies are obviously quite important to their sound and they utilize them well enough. There are a few songs that are very dated and have not aged well. The vocals are a little higher than I was expecting and on a few tracks the rhythm section is so much in the foreground that it drowns out the vocals to an extent. This isn't the most consistent album for quality, but it is most certainly decent. Fist went on for a few years after this, but then gave up. Like many other bands from the scene ther re-formed years later. This isn't a must here and it is obvious why they didn' get a great deal of notice during this crowded scene three decades ago. However it's an album with some fun songs and genuine energy so there is enough here to make it worth checking out. The re-issue includes a bonus track, lyric booklet and band biography.

Album cover look alikes

Occasionally you run across an album cover that pays tribute, spoofs or is inspired by a more well known cover. Here are a few.

Clash of the album covers

Here you go.


Faster Pussycat-s/t

vs.


Hanoi Rocks-Oriental Beat


***Which cover do you prefer?

Quartz-Stand up and fight

Metal Mind
1980/2010

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was such a massive movement that it's no surprise that I have not every band from that time and I may never hear all of them. Quartz originally formed as Legs in 1974. A few years later they got a record deal and changed the name to Quartz. After than Black Sabbath's manager Albert Chapman took them on. Also Tony Iommi became a fan and insisted he produce their debut. Shortly after Quartz keyboadist/guitarist Geoff Nicholls was lured away to play keyboards for Sabbath. Quartz decided to go on with just one guitarist and began preparing material for their sophomore effort. The band moved to a bigger label in MCA and released "Stand up and fight" in 1980. It's obvious that the band's brief association with Sabbath had some influence because there are definitely Sabbath type riffs in several songs. The music as a whole is far more upbeat and groove oriented. This album is a combination of late 70's hard rock and the early 80's NWOBHM sound. Quartz also remind me some of Diamond Head and early Saxon. The opener is title track and it's one that combines a Sabbath type riff with the bands knack for a tight and punchy attack. "Can't say no to you" shows the band's ability to handle the slower hard rock style songs. "Stoking up the fires of hell" is a fine example of Quartz taking a mid-tempo track and making it heavier than it could be. They manage to squeeze a lot into a short time span and that's one of their real strengths. "Stand up and fight" is a definite stand out even amongst the crowded NWOBHM movement. This re-issue includes the 1977 track "Circles" which features Brian May contributing some guitars and Ozzy doing some backing vocals. Also included are a lyric booklet and a band bio. Obviously I missed out by not hearing these guys until, but this re-issue will allow me to make up for lost time.

Battle of the bands

Two long running acts in this contest. It is...


Deep Purple

vs.


Rush

***Which band do you prefer?

Christian Mistress-Agony and Opium

20 Buck Spin
2010

Hailing from Olympia, Washington Christian Mistress have previously knocked out a demo tap and a seven inch, but now we get a six song EP from them. They have received a lot of praise from both the press and other bands in their area. The approach is simple and not totally unique. They pull from NWOBHM influences including Angelwitch, Diamond Head and Saxon as well as other early metal sounds like Metallica's Kill 'em all and Mercyful Fate. Vocalist Christine Davis shines with her powerful and straight forward presentation. The guitars are a solid twin guitar attack with plenty of twists and turns. Both guitarist play off of each and help the strength of the songs. The production is stripped down and I would guess that was done on purpose, but I think a more full bodied production would actually have helped the release. I think the slightly dull production actually robs them of some the energy that they could have had. There are other current bands like Cauldron, Enforcer, Widow and others playing NWOBHM inspired metal, but the vocals of Christine Davis help to make Christian Mistress a little different. This is an impressive outing and I would certainly be interested in hearing what they accomplish once they release a full length effort.

Place of skulls-As a dog returns

2010


Guitarist/vocalist Victor Griffin is of course best known for his work in Pentagram. In recent years he has been at the helm of Place of skulls. For this effort he brings together the original Place of Skulls trio for. With Pentagram Griffin contributed some fantastic riffs and helped to carve the doom sound and influence many bands over the last twenty-five plus years. He still has that doom background in his sound, but he also obviously been drawn by or attracted to playing a more mellow sound this time around. I was actually somewhat shocked by how laid back several of the tracks. There are even a few ballads and the band seems comfortable with it. The musicianship is solid,but the ideas are merely decent and occasionally it gets bogged down upon itself. Griffin hits a few of the type of standard old style sludge/doom that you would expect from him. There are few guitarists who handle this style better than him, but there just isn't enough of it on this album for my liking. The lyrics are of the Christian variety as Victor is far from shy about singing out his words of praise. I am sure this is very much the album that Griffin and the rest of the band wanted to make, but it's all just a rather fair outing. I made it through and enjoyed some moment, but there certainly weren't enough memorable songs or even parts to make me want to return to it. Overall a slightly disappointing outing.

What's coming up?

Hope to have the new Place of skulls reviewed today or tomorrow. Next week I am aiming for reviews of Quartz-Stand up and fight re-issue plus the latest from Terry Brock, Chistian Mistress, Tony Harnell and Dusted Angel. Also Clash of the album covers and Battle of the bands are likely. Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Ghost-The engraving

Self-produced

2010

Ghost came together in Oslo, Norway some eight years ago and. During that time they have gone through some line-up changes and knocked out a demo plus an EP before releasing this their full length debut. Indeed eight years is a long time to wait for putting out your first full length album. However in this case the album is worth the wait for fans and hopefully the band gets the recognition they deserve. It's obvious that this effort because this is one of the better melodic metal releases I have heard in some time. The playing here is sharp and tight with a strong mid to late 80's influences. I hear some Loudness, Dokken, even some Grim Reaper on a couple of the heavier tracks and other influences as well. That's not to limit Ghost because they put their own spin on the material and it's not entirely stuck in the past either. The vocals are of the slightly raspy variety and work wonders here. The majority of the songs lean more towards the metal side, but there are some strong melodies and the band is just as adept at handling slower tracks as they are at belting out the heavier, pounding songs. "The engraving" is an album that is smooth in all it's details that I enjoyed it right away on the first spin and every additional play allowed me more time to appreciate everything that they did on this album. The only real complaint was that I kept waiting for them to really bust loose on at least one song and get maybe a little beyond that mid-tempo, but it never happened. That's a very minor issue because overall this is a strong outing with much to offer.

www.myspace.com/ghostrocks

Rezet-Have gun will travel

Iron Kodex/High Roller
2010


Back in the 1980's I couldn't get enough thrash metal and I would grab the latest release from whatever band came down the pike. Looking back not every band was good, but is was still a new genre so there was room to grow and a number of bands churned out some good and farily original ideas. Today a lot of younger bands have brought thrash back, but not all of the bands add any ideas to what was done twenty plus years ago. Germany's Rezet have been working their way up opening for the likes of Flotsam and Jetsam, Tankard, Gama Bomb and Agent Steel. They have also put out several demos, but now they have finally released this their debut album. These youngsters are not exactly breaking the mold, but they are approaching their material with everything they have. The influences include Megadeth, Kreator, Exodus and others. They storm through their songs with ripping pace changes and far more riffs than many other thrash bands could even dream of constructing. Yet despite the swirling amount of ideas they still remain very tight in their presentation. Add to that some admirable songwriting because you will remember many of these songs after just one play. They not only have the sound down, but also the whole powerful spirit that was in the best thrash acts of the 80's is obviously in Rezet's music too. That's not to say that there isn't room for improvement because they could be even better if they continue to develop. "Have gun will travel" is an explosive display of real thrash must own for all fans.

http://www.myspace.com/rezetband